Norman Kingdom of Sicily

The Kingdom of Sicily (1061-1194) was state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Robert Guiscard in 1061 until 1194.

History
Norman nobleman Robert Guiscard conquered Naples from the Byzantine Empire after defeating the Papal States in the Battle of Civitate in 1053, and in 1061 he was made Duke of Calabria and Apulia by the Pope. Now a legitimate king, Robert founded the Norman Kingdom of Sicily, which also controlled southern mainland Italy. With its capital at Palermo, the Kingdom of Sicily was heavily influenced by the Norman-French culture of western Europe as well as the Moors' Muslim culture that spread during the era of Muslim rule from 831 to 1072.

The Sicilians expanded under Count Roger I of Sicily from 1080 onwards, capturing the rebel Greek settlement of Durazzo (Dyrrhachium), the island of Sardinia, and the Fatimid stronghold of Tunis as of 1102. They also made alliances with the Holy Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire, consolidating their places as a major power in Medieval Europe.